Ten Panthers selected to All-SCIAC teams
ORANGE, Calif. – Ten members of the Chapman University football team were selected to All-SCIAC teams earlier this afternoon after helping lead the Panthers to their third consecutive winning record.
The honors were headlined by seven First Team selections, including seniors Ian Fieber, Andrew Dieken and Matt Layton as well as juniors Trevor Vill, Ryan Moles and Elias Deeb and sophomore Nico Ragas. Seniors Dominic Vaccher and Alec Kohn along with sophomore Franky Narez earned a spot on the Second Team
In just his one season as a Panther, Fieber re-wrote the Chapman record books and left his name imprinted in history. The quarterback threw for 28 touchdowns this season, shattering the single-season record set by Ricky Bautista in the 2017 season. Fieber also set the new school record for passing yards in a single season, racking up 2,545 yards on another single-season record 184-for-299 passing on the year. His 282.8 passing yards per game ranks 13th in the nation and etched his name in the final spot of the Chapman football single-season record book.
Fieber was a force against SCIAC opponents, leading the conference with 20 touchdown tosses and 247.7 yards per game. He stormed the Panthers downfield, leading the SCIAC by over 600 yards with 1,734 passing yards against conference opponents.
Dieken was a staple on the defensive line for the Panthers in his final season, earning First Team honors for the second consecutive year. The defensive end brought down SCIAC opponents 27 times, averaging 3.9 tackles per game. Dieken tallied 2.5 sacks in conference games for a total loss of 13 yards. The Sammamish, Wash. native also boasted seven tackles for loss for a total loss 21 yards against SCIAC opponents.
Layton joins the All-SCIAC First Team for the first time in his career. The linebacker tied for ninth in the conference with 46 tackles against conference opponents, dragging down 29 of those on his own. Layton led the SCIAC with four sacks this season, all coming against conference opponents for a total loss of 26 yards. The Bakersfield native also snagged one interception against Redlands, returning the pick for 17 yards.
Vill and Vaccher were constant threats against SCIAC opponents, ranking as the top-2 receivers in the conference in every facet of the game. Vaccher led the conference with 570 total yards and 95 yards per game. Vill was right behind him, ranking second in the SCIAC with an average of 64.9 yards per game and 454 total receiving yards. Vaccher caught 4.5 receptions per game for a conference-high average of 21.1 yards per catch. Vill also dominated those categories, finding the ball 3.4 times per game with 18.9 yards per catch against SCIAC opponents.
Moles and Kohn earned their second consecutive All-SCIAC honors as they helped the Panthers to one of the most explosive seasons on offense. The offensive linemen held off SCIAC opponents, allowing the Chapman offense to lead the conference in passing yards, yards per game and touchdowns. The Panthers were the highest scoring team in the SCIAC, averaging 37.1 points per game against conference teams while ranking third overall with 2,757 yards of total offense.
This is Deeb's second All-SCIAC First Team selection in his three years as a Panther. The punter helped pin SCIAC opponents deep in their own territory time and time again. Deeb led the SCIAC with 40.9 yards per punt against SCIAC opponents and ranks fourth in the nation with an overall average of 42 yards per punt. The Newport Beach native helped lead the Panthers to rank first in the nation with 37.56 net punting yards per game. He posted a total of 981 punting yards, pinning SCIAC opponents behind their own 20-yard line seven times.
Ragas has written his name in the Chapman record books in just his second season as a Panther, earning his first All-SCIAC recognition with a spot on the First Team. The kickoff returner led the SCIAC and ranks second in Division III with two touchdown returns, breaking both the Chapman single-season and career record in the category. His 100-yard return against Redlands also tied the longest kickoff return in program history. The Lakewood native averaged a total of 31.9 yards per return, ranking fifth in the nation while leading the conference.
Narez earned his first All-SCIAC honor with a spot on the Second Team. The sophomore cornerback joined Dieken with 27 tackles and 3.9 tackles per game against SCIAC opponents. He brought down two conference opponents behind the line of scrimmage for three yards lost and broke up four passes. The Long Beach native tallied his first career interception in the second quarter against Pomona-Pitzer.
The Panthers earned a 5-4 overall record to post a fourth place conference finish and their third consecutive winning season, matching the longest such streak in program history. Five of Chapman's 10 All-SCIAC selections are due to return to the field in the 2019 season.
Read the full SCIAC release.
By Katie Bell
Sports Information Assistant
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